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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for September 9, 2014.
Posted: 09 Sep 2014 14:56:09
ARB Newsclips for September 9, 2014. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. CAP AND TRADE Report: Carbon Credits Bring $664 a Ton of Additional Benefits to Local Communities. Offsetting one ton of carbon dioxide brings an additional $664 in benefits to the communities where carbon reduction projects are based, according to new research by Imperial College London and the International Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Alliance (ICROA). Unlocking The Hidden Value of Carbon Offsetting shows how purchasing carbon credits creates economic development opportunities…Posted. http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/new_metrics/mike_hower/report_carbon_credits_bring_664_ton_additional_benefits_local_ AIR POLLUTION UN says CO2 pollution levels at annual record high. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013 as increasing levels of man-made pollution transform the planet, the U.N. weather agency said Tuesday. As the heat-trapping gas blamed for the largest share of global warming, carbon dioxide rose to global concentrations of 396 parts per million last year, the biggest year-to-year change in three decades, the World Meteorological Organization said in an annual report. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/09/un-says-co2-pollution-levels-at-annual-record-high/ Want to clear smoggy city air? Plant more trees – study. Planting trees can be a cost-effective remedy to ozone pollution in cities with persistent air quality problems, according to a study that examined urban reforestation as a means of controlling ground-level ozone. Researchers in the joint study by the Nature Conservancy and Dow Chemical Co. examined the hypothetical planting of a 1,000-acre tree stand in the Houston metropolitan area, where ozone levels…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005478/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE 1-Carbon surge drives greenhouse gas levels to record high-WMO. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013 driven by a surge in the level of carbon dioxide, the World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday, urging international action to combat climate change. "We know without any doubt that our climate is changing and our weather is becoming more extreme due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels,"…Posted. http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/environment-carbon-idINL5N0RA1YL20140909 Climate Change Will Disrupt Half of North America’s Bird Species, Study Says. The Baltimore oriole will probably no longer live in Maryland, the common loon might leave Minnesota, and the trumpeter swan could be entirely gone. Those are some of the grim prospects outlined in a report released on Monday by the National Audubon Society, which found that climate change is likely to so alter the bird population of North America that about half of the approximately 650 species…Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/us/climate-change-will-disrupt-half-of-north-americas-bird-species-study-says.html?_r=0 http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-adv-birds-climate-change-20140909-story.html?track=rss http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/08/6689359/global-warming-may-mean-bye-bye.html http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/08/4112958_global-warming-seen-threat-to.html?rh=1 http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/09/09/46584/more-than-half-of-us-bird-species-threatened-by-cl/ Charges Dropped Against Climate Activists. In May 2013, two environmental activists piloted a lobster boat close to the vast pile of coal at the Brayton Point Power Station, the hulking plant that overlooks this industrial inlet near the border between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With the tiny boat, the two men — Jay O’Hara, 32, and Ken Ward, 57 — dropped anchor and for a day blocked a freighter with a 40,000-ton shipment of coal, and they were arrested and charged with conspiracy, disturbing the peace and other violations. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/us/charges-dropped-against-climate-activists.html?ref=earth Climate change increases possibility of megadrought in Southwestern U.S. (video). New study finds increased possibility of severe and long-term megadrought affecting Southwestern United States. John Russell reports. Posted. http://www.nytimes.com/video/multimedia/100000003101220/climate-change-increases-possibility-of-megadrought-in-southwest.html U.S. May Not Be Leading on Climate, but California Is. The conference hashtag said it all: #CARoad2Paris. On Monday, Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the current and former governors of the world’s eighth largest economy, appeared together in Sacramento to assert that the path to a global accord on climate change runs through their home state—and not Washington, D.C. “As leaders from all over world prepare for the next UN climate talks in Lima and Paris…Posted. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-09/u-dot-s-dot-may-not-be-leading-on-climate-but-california-is Higher prices power up new ideas. When the cost for electric power plants in New York to emit climate-changing greenhouse gases last week remained near an all-time high, it was helping the state to continue support for a mix of energy programs like an innovative hydrogen recycling company in Latham. Posted. http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Higher-prices-power-up-new-ideas-5742517.php UN says CO2 pollution levels at annual record high. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013 as increasing levels of man-made pollution transform the planet, the U.N. weather agency said Tuesday. As the heat-trapping gas blamed for the largest share of global warming, carbon dioxide rose to global concentrations of 396 parts per million last year, the biggest year-to-year change in three decades, the World Meteorological Organization said in an annual report. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/09/4113133_un-says-co2-pollution-levels-at.html?rh=1 Criminal charges dropped in lobster boat blockade. Criminal charges were dropped Monday against two environmental activists who used a lobster boat to block a shipment to New England's largest coal-burning plant. Lawyers for Ken Ward and Jonathan "Jay" O'Hara had been prepared to argue that their clients' actions were necessary because of the threat posed by climate change. Posted. http://www.vcstar.com/news/criminal-charges-dropped-in-lobster-boat-blockade_64842929 Gov. Brown joins Schwarzenegger, top experts for climate change panel. Sacramento symposium charts economic costs and the advantages of taking the California model global. Government officials, business leaders and environmental researchers gathered in Sacramento to discuss the state policies and information gleaned from nearly a decade at the forefront of addressing the issue of climate change at a symposium co-sponsored by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Posted. http://news.usc.edu/68187/gov-brown-joins-schwarzenegger-top-experts-for-climate-change-panel/ Current and former state leaders envision winning a fight against the 'dark shadow' of fossil fuels. Darkness and light were both on offer yesterday in visions of the future of international climate policy as articulated by two California governors. A three-hour climate conference organized by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) functioned as a pep rally for state and international policymakers -- and a response to industry opponents of the Golden State's climate efforts. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005448/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Industry group promotes biomass for reducing greenhouse gases. Burning wood for energy could yield some big benefits for mitigating climate change in the long run, the Society of American Foresters says in a recent paper, offering scientific support to back a long-standing claim from the forestry industry. The recommendations find that, as long as land remains in forest, sustainably managed working lands that produce wood products…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060005486/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Atmosphere's GHG concentration continues to climb, despite reductions from some nations. Despite some recent regional reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and other industrial nations, the total concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues its upward march at an unprecedented rate, the World Meteorological Organization announced today. Compared to the preindustrial era of the 1750s, the Earth's atmosphere is now choked with 142 percent more carbon dioxide…Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005449/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Global economy still 'blowing through' its carbon budget, but glimmers of hope seen in developing countries – PwC. Since edging out the windmill, the water wheel, whale oil and the wood stove as the world's primary source of energy, fossil fuels have been closely tied to the global economy. As economies grow, more fossil fuels are consumed; as they shrink or slow, consumption of coal, gas and oil moves accordingly. That relationship will have to change if the world is to both continue economic growth and head off the worst impacts of climate change. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005443/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Emerging nations lower carbon emissions faster than G-7 in key climate change metric. China, India and other emerging industrial nations have surpassed the Group of Seven for the first time in one closely observed metric of how countries are addressing climate change. The group of the seven emerging industrial powers, or the E-7, lowered its collective carbon intensity -- carbon emissions per dollar of gross domestic product -- by an average of 1.7 percent in 2013. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005427/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Older Caribbean coral lineages may be better able to fight disease and climate stress – study. How ancient a coral's lineage is could play a part in how well it is able to withstand diseases. Recent research by scientists at the University of Texas, Arlington, found that certain older lines of Caribbean corals may be better able to fend off diseases than those from lineages that evolved more recently. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005416/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY DROUGHT As Agriculture Swoons in Drought, West Coast Firms Avoid Worst Effects Air-Cooled Computer Servers, Low-Flow Toilets, Employee Education Help Conserve Water. Through the three-year drought ravaging the West Coast, one surprise has been the muted effect on many urban businesses. Thousands of companies, including MillerCoors LLC, Facebook Inc. FB -1.71% and Vantage Data Centers Management Co., have put millions of dollars into water-saving technologies and vegetation since the last drought, which ran from 2007 to 2009. Posted. http://online.wsj.com/articles/as-agriculture-swoons-in-drought-west-coast-firms-avoid-worst-effects-1410218576 Calif. colleges take drought-friendly Ice Bucket Challenges. Some California colleges are taking the dive to support awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — and they’re making a splash without ice buckets. Around 70 California State University, Chico students plunged into their Wildcat Recreation Center swimming pool on Labor Day to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: Posted. http://college.usatoday.com/2014/09/08/california-colleges-take-drought-friendly-ice-bucket-challenge/ Drilling Through the Drought: A Look At Well Drilling Activity In The Central Valley. In rural areas like California's Central Valley, private wells are a common source of household drinking water. The state of California estimates about two million people in the state rely on private well water or other unregulated underground water sources. Well water is just as important to farmers who use it to irrigate crops, especially when surface water is not available. Posted. http://www.capradio.org/31017 California Drought Forces Farmers To Adapt. The extended drought has been tough on San Diego farmers, growers and ranchers. The dry weather, coupled with high water prices, has forced some to stop watering crops and trees. Cattle ranchers have had to sell off their herd, as pastures dried up and turned brown. And many people who work in the industry have lost their jobs. While the situation is grim, it has pushed area farmers to adapt, by using new irrigation methods and crops that require less water — like grapes. Posted. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/sep/08/california-drought-forces-farmers-adapt/ Can't fill it? Drought is a drain on Orange County swimming pools. The Santa Margarita Water District’s new ordinance to fight drought prohibits the filling of pools. After saving up enough money over six years, Scot Scialpi finally ripped out his lawn this summer to build what many suburban Southern Californians consider their birthright – a backyard swimming pool. Then came a series of obstacles that nearly sent Scialpi off the deep end: California’s persistent drought…Posted. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pool-634199-water-pools.html Drought: 5 things to know about legislation stuck in Congress. Congress returns to Washington tonight after more than a month’s recess. Californians are thirstily awaiting word on another topic: what does Congress intend to do about the drought? Here's answers to five questions about Washington's response to the drought: Posted. http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/09/08/46500/drought-five-things-to-know-about-legislation-stuc/ FUELS Theft of grease for biofuel gets stickier. California is upping the ante against slippery late-night thieves who stalk back alleys behind restaurants in search of a quick payday in the form of an unlikely hot commodity — used cooking oil. The quest for U.S. energy independence and more renewable fuels has transformed ordinary kitchen grease from a nuisance into a cash cow whose theft can be stubbornly difficult to track or trace. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/california-crackdown-cooking-oil-theft/ U.S. agency looks at LNG as a cheaper, cleaner bunker fuel for ships. Liquefied natural gas is a cost-effective way for shipping companies to meet U.S. EPA emissions requirements, but adopting the fuel will require improved regulatory harmonization as well as new safety and operational standards, according to a new report commissioned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005444/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Tax on land-use emissions would save forest. Can biofuels help constrain climate change and be the sustainable fuel of the future? A new study in Environmental Research Letters (ERL) investigates the global potential of biomass, and explores the impact that a tax on greenhouse-gas emissions from the land-use sector would have. Currently biofuels tend to be made using starch- or sugar-rich food crops, and much of the plant goes to waste. Posted. http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/58486 VEHICLES CA has 100K plug-in cars, and counting. Cumulative sales of plug-in electric cars in California have surpassed 100,000, industry experts announced Monday. As of the end of August, Californians had purchased 102,440 plug-in cars, including both all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids that run on a combination of electricity and gasoline, according to figures compiled by HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/california-plugin-car-milestone/ California Has More Than 100,000 Plug-In Electric Cars On Roads. California has hit a major plug-in car milestone this week: Since the first electric vehicle was sold back in 2010, more than 100,000 others have now hit the streets. The figures have been compiled by the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative. The number is impressive on its own, but also means that California accounts for around 40 percent of national plug-in vehicle sales. Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094297_california-has-more-than-100000-plug-in-electric-cars-on-roads Chinese Production Of Plug-In Electric Cars Finally Starts To Grow. After years of encouragement through government policies, Chinese production of plug-in electric cars is finally starting to grow. Amidst rampant air pollution, the Chinese government has heavily incentivized electrified vehicles, but so far that hasn't won the interest of consumers. That appears to be changing, as production of electric cars and plug-in hybrids soared in the first eight months of 2014…Posted. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1094310_chinese-production-of-plug-in-electric-cars-finally-starts-to-grow UC Riverside team shows new eco-routing navigation tool can cut EV energy use up to 51%. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering have shown that a vehicle navigation tool they created can cut electric vehicle energy use up to 51%. The researchers outlined their findings in a report to the California Energy Commission, which paid for the study with a $95,000 grant. Posted. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014/09/20140909-ucr.html Plug-in sales hit milestone in Calif.; backers say EVs are headed for 'mainstream'. The number of plug-in electric vehicles on California roads has accelerated past 100,000, a marker that clean energy supporters called a sign that the cars are headed toward the mainstream. The 100,000 plug-in vehicles, or PEVs, represent 0.04 percent of the 24 million passenger vehicles registered in the Golden State. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005445/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY University partners with China to help it develop electric vehicle fleet. The University of California, Davis, will partner with China to speed adoption of plug-in electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles, the school said yesterday. UC Davis signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC), the agency that regulates many activities of the auto industry in China. The agreement aims to help China develop policies and strategies to grow the share of zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVs. Posted. http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060005451/print BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY GREEN ENERGY University of California signs major solar deal. The University of California says it has made one of the largest ever solar-energy purchases by a university system in the United States. The UC system, one of the largest public university systems in the nation, says the deal will provide enough solar power to offset 60 percent of the electricity use at five of the state's 10 campuses, as well as some university medical centers. Posted. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/08/university-of-california-signs-major-solar-deal/ Merced OKs homeowner loan program for energy-, water-efficient improvements. A loan program aimed to help residents add energy-efficient upgrades to their Merced homes could also benefit the city’s goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and water waste, according to city leaders.Merced City Council approved the program in the city with a 6-0 vote last week. Councilman Michael Belluomini was absent. Posted. http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/08/3527915/merced-oks-homeowner-loan-program.html#storylink=cpy MISCELLANEOUS California lawmakers pass first US plastic bag ban. California lawmakers have approved a measure that would make the state the first to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. SB270 cleared the Senate on a 22-15 vote Friday and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. It was approved by the Assembly a day earlier. Senators who had previously opposed the bill, including incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat, this time supported the measure after protections were added for plastic bag manufacturers. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/california-lawmakers-pass-first-us-plastic-bag-ban/2014/08/30/a0c1e0ea-3016-11e4-be9e-60cc44c01e7f_story.html BLOGS Who's Worried About Global Warming? Five unexpected agitators on climate talk about why they're taking action. I’m deeply concerned that climate change is a brewing crisis—much like the financial crisis of 2008—that poses massive risk to our economy and the quality of life for future generations. There are some who believe that even if we took steps to diminish the manmade impacts of climate change, we couldn’t possibly do enough to curb its catastrophic effects. Posted. http://climate.audubon.org/article/whos-worried-about-global-warming 9 New Ideas to Cut Carbon Emissions. These solutions could stem emissions from food, fuel, and beyond. Global warming is here, but that doesn’t mean we have to sit around and watch the dire consequences come to pass. Innovators around the world are finding solutions for curbing carbon emission. Here’s our list of some of the most promising efforts under way.http://climate.audubon.org/article/9-new-ideas-cut-carbon-emissions. Posted. Northeast carbon auctions reach $1.8 billion. Auction sales of carbon allowances in the nation’s first cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have generated $1.8 billion since the program was launched six years ago. The nine Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative use the revenue to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, consumer utility bill assistance, and other consumer programs. Posted. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/09/08/northeast-carbon-auctions-reach-1-8-billion/ Tesla expects another higher-volume deal with Toyota in next few years. Four months have passed since Toyota ended its relationship with Tesla Motors, in which the electric-vehicle specialist supplied full lithium-ion battery packs to the Japanese behemoth for its RAV4 EV rollout, of which 2,500 vehicles will be completed. Now, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk has been heard suggesting that a future collaboration is likely within the next two to three years, and that it will probably be much larger than the last one. Posted. http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/09/tesla-toyota-partnership/ California is in a drought emergency. Visit www.SaveOurH2O.org for water conservation tips.